BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. China's sports industry accounts for 1.19 percent of GDP in 2024

The total output of China's sports industry reached 3.8421 trillion yuan (about 540.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, accounting for 1.19 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), according to data released by the General Administration of Sport of China and the National Bureau of Statistics on December 31, 2025.

The value added of the sports industry stood at 1.6033 trillion yuan, and the sector's share of GDP was 0.04 percentage points higher than last year.

2. China's national football team announces 26-man roster under new coach Shao

The Chinese Football Association announced a 26-player roster on January 1 for the Chinese men's national team's first training camp of 2026, with four newcomers Li Yang, Yan Bingliang, Ma Zhen and Lyu Zhuoyi included.

The camp will be the first under newly appointed head coach Shao Jiayi and will run from January 4 to 27 in Zhaoqing, south China's Guangdong Province, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

China's men's national team has no official matches scheduled in 2026, with preparations focused on the 2027 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia.

3. Centers Li, Han selected in China's roster for women's basketball World Cup qualifications preparation

Overseas-based centers Li Yueru and Han Xu have been selected in China's roster for preparing for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup qualifications.

The 15-woman roster announced on December 31, 2025 by the Chinese Basketball Association also included some prominent figures like Zhang Ru, Luo Xinyu and Yang Shuyu.

The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup qualifications will be held from March 11 to 17, featuring 24 teams across four competition zones. 11 World Cup spots will be up for grabs.

Team China will play the World Cup qualifications in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, against Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Mali and South Sudan.

4. Milicic keeps China women's national team job despite heavy defeat

Australia's Ante Milicic is to remain head coach of China's women's national football team despite an 8-0 loss to England, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced on December 28, 2025.

The CFA said in a statement that Milicic, who took over in May 2024, will lead the Steel Roses in training from January 4 to 22 ahead of the Asian Cup in Australia in March.

Former Paris Saint-Germain forward Wang Shuang is among 24 players selected for the training camp. They represent nine clubs across China.

5. Sun out, Doo in for WTT Champions Doha

Women's singles world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China has withdrawn from the 2026 World Table Tennis (WTT) Champions Doha tournament and will be replaced by Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong, China, the WTT announced on December 29, 2025.

Sun withdrew from the women's singles semifinal against teammate Kuai Man due to discomfort at the WTT Finals, and was absent from the 2025 China Table Tennis Super League Finals.

Following Sun's withdrawal, China's lineup for the Doha event from January 7 to 11 now features Wang Manyu, Chen Xingtong, Kuai Man, Wang Yidi and Chen Yi in the women's singles, and Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, Xiang Peng and Chen Yuanyu in the men's singles.